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Floyd A Beckford

Professor of Chemistry at Duke Kunshan University
DKU Faculty

Overview


Floyd Beckford has a B.Sc. (Hons) in chemistry and a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Texas A&M University. Before joining Duke Kunshan, he was the Van Daniel Endowed Chair in Chemistry at the University of Virginia’s College, Wise, and previously held faculty positions at Lyon College, Arkansas, and the University of Toledo, Ohio. He was a Fulbright-University of Turku (Finland) Scholar in 2018.

His research focus is the field of medicinal inorganic chemistry. Specifically, he is interested in the potential of transition metal compounds, particularly those of ruthenium, manganese, zinc and copper, to be used as proto-pharmaceuticals. Their use as agents in anticancer, antibacterial, and anti-diabetic chemotherapy is of primary interest. This is a multidisciplinary process involving chemistry, biology and biochemistry. He is also interested in environmental chemistry from the standpoint of Contaminants of Emerging Concern. His teaching interests at Duke Kunshan include inorganic, organic and general chemistry.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Chemistry at Duke Kunshan University · 2020 - Present DKU Faculty
Professor of the Practice of DKU Studies at Duke University · 2023 - Present DKU Studies

Education, Training & Certifications


University of West Indies (West Indies) · 1994 Ph.D.